Information Bulletin IB10-006 Rev.3 April 22, 2015 Steam Pipelines

9410 – 20th Avenue

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6N 0A4

Tel: 780-437-9100 / Fax: 780-437-7787

Information Bulletin IB10-006 Rev.3 April 22, 2015

Steam Pipelines

Information Bulletin IB10-006 Rev.3 is hereby issued for immediate implementation.

This revision includes technical and editorial changes. IB10-006 Rev.2 issued on

February 23, 2011 is hereby rescinded.

I INTRODUCTION

Steam pipelines used in the recovery of hydrocarbons from a reservoir or oil sands

deposit are regulated under the Pipeline Act, R.S.A. 2000, c. P-15. These steam

pipelines are exempt from the Safety Codes Act and Pressure Equipment Safety

Regulation by section 2(1)(e) of the Pressure Equipment Exemption Order (AR

56/2006), but they require design registration by ABSA as a condition of licensing under

the Pipeline Rules AR 91/2005, and in accordance with Alberta Energy Regulator (AER)

Directive 077 issued May 19, 2010. (Most recent revision was issued Dec 22, 2011.)

Directive 077 explains the AER legislative requirements, and clarifies the responsibilities

of the AER and ABSA with respect to steam pipelines. In general, design registration,

construction, operation, and maintenance of steam pipelines is under ABSA’s programs.

This Information Bulletin specifies the application of ABSA’s programs to steam

pipelines that are regulated under the Pipeline Act in accordance with AER Directive

077. This Information Bulletin is intended to supplement, and should be reviewed with,

AER Directive 077.

II SCOPE

This Information Bulletin specifies the application of ABSA program requirements that

shall be applied to steam pipelines within the scope of AER Directive 077, Part B,

Section 3.1.

The requirements contained herein are applicable to pipelines intended to carry steam,

produced fluids, or recovered steam. In February 2015, the AER issued further

clarification regarding the pipeline services that require ABSA design registration on

their website, http://www.aer.ca/rules-and-regulations/directives/faqs-pipelines-

technical. According to this clarification, the steam distribution pipelines carrying steam

at temperatures greater than 120°C from steam generators at the steam generation

ABSA IB10-006 Rev.3 Interpretation

April 22, 2015

facility to the well pads, and/or certain production pipelines carrying some combination

of fluids at temperatures greater than 120°C (oil, natural gas, water, and recovered

steam) back from the well pads to the central processing facility, are considered to be

“steam” pipelines in the context of AER Directive 077.

A schematic of criteria for registration of design and license application is provided in

figure 3.1 of AER Directive 077, Part B (page B-30) and in the AER web page

referenced above. The clarification issued in the AER FAQ reference above contains

more specific direction as to how to apply the principles expressed in AER Directive 077

and it is important that the owner and designer carefully study the information contained

in the AER FAQ. It is the responsibility of the owner and the designer to determine

which pipelines require design registration and compliance with this Information Bulletin.

Acceptable pipeline designs are registered with the condition that the pipelines will

comply with all requirements (construction, pressure testing, inspection, operations,

etc.) specified in this Information Bulletin.

The requirements of this Information Bulletin do not apply to steam pipelines of internal

aggregate capacity less than 0.5 m

. Treatment of exemptions is described under

Section IV of this document.

III ABSA Program Requirements

1) Registration of Design

Registration of design with ABSA shall be in accordance with Section 16(1) of

the Pressure Equipment Safety Regulation, AR 49/2006 (PESR), and all the

provisions therein.

The design shall also satisfy the requirements of Canadian Standards

Association (CSA) Z662: Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems, Clause 14.

2) Design Submission Requirements

The design shall be submitted to ABSA for review and registration. The

submission shall include all information required by Section 16(1) of the PESR,

and shall include a completed Design Registration Application Form AB-31

together with other documentation and applicable forms (available on the ABSA

Web site www.absa.ca). The submission shall clearly identify and distinguish

the pipelines for which design registration is being sought from those which do

not require registration. The submitted documentation shall be stamped by a

Professional Engineer.

All pipeline design registration submissions shall address overpressure

protection. As stated in AER Directive 077, Part B, Section 3.3, pressure

control and overpressure protection shall satisfy the requirements of CSA Z662,

Clause 4.18, and overpressure protection shall be acceptable in accordance

with Section 38 of the PESR.

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April 22, 2015

If Overpressure Protection by System Design (OPPSD) is proposed for

pipelines, the submission shall address all requirements specified in ABSA

document AB-525 – Overpressure Protection Requirements for Pressure

Vessels and Pressure Piping.

Design submissions of steam pipelines with PRVs need to show that each PRV

set pressure is equal or lower than the maximum allowable working pressure of

the pipeline it is intended to protect.

If the use of CSA Z662, Annex I is proposed, design submissions shall clearly

identify and distinguish the steam pipelines or sections of steam pipelines to

which Annex I was applied. Design submissions shall include documentation to

demonstrate compliance with the Annex I and, if applicable, address specific

Annex I requirements (thermal stress limits, fatigue evaluation considerations,

etc.).

If the use of unlisted materials according to CSA Z662, Clause 14.3.2 or

Annex I, Clause I.3.2.1 is proposed, the owner or owner’s agent shall develop

project-specific material specifications and include them with the design

submission. As a minimum, project-specific material specifications shall be

numbered documents with revision numbers and need to specify material

chemical properties, mechanical properties at the maximum design

temperatures and room temperatures, material testing requirements according

to CSA Z662, Clause 14.3.2 or Annex I, Clause I.3.2, and allowable stress

values established as specified in Paragraph 302.3.2(d) of ASME B31.3.

The design registration will be approved following a review to determine that

the design meets the requirements of this Information Bulletin, the PESR and

relevant codes and standards. The applicant will be notified in writing that the

design has been registered in accordance with this Information Bulletin.

3) Construction and Inspection

Construction shall be by an organization that holds a quality system certificate

of authorization permit issued under section 11 of the PESR. The scope of the

certificate of authorization permit shall include “Z662 steam pipeline

construction”.

Welding procedure specifications shall be registered with ABSA per section 18

of the PESR. Welding procedures specifications shall be in accordance with

the requirements of CSA Z662 Clause 14.4.2 or Annex I, Clause I.4.1 as

applicable. Welder certification and performance qualification testing shall be in

accordance with the Pressure Welders Regulation and CSA Z662 Annex I

Clause I.4.1 when applicable.

Construction documentation, including completed AB-83 forms, shall be

maintained and distributed in accordance with the construction organization’s

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April 22, 2015

quality management system. Construction inspections shall be completed by a

competent owner’s inspector, and documented by the inspector’s certification of

the completed AB-83 forms. The completion of construction declaration (ABSA

form AB-81) shall be submitted to ABSA in accordance with Section 32 of the

PESR. Construction may be subject to inspection by an ABSA Safety Codes

Officer.

4) Pressure Testing

The pressure test requirements are specified in CSA Z662, Clause 14.5. Test

pressures, mediums, and procedures shall be accepted by ABSA, in

accordance with Sections 16(1) and 30 of the PESR before the test is

conducted. Testing shall be conducted in a manner that satisfies CSA Z662

and Section 30 of the PESR. Records of the successful pressure test shall be

in accordance with the construction organization’s quality management system,

the Pipeline Rules, and Sections 31 and 32 of the PESR.

5) Operations

In-service inspections and integrity management for the pipelines shall be

addressed in the company’s pressure equipment integrity management system

in a manner acceptable to ABSA. The integrity management system shall

address steam pipelines inventory, inspection plans, operating procedures,

operator training and change management. Unsafe conditions and incidents not

associated with a failure (as defined below) must be reported to ABSA.

6) Failure Investigation

For the purpose of this Information Bulletin only, a failure is defined as a

condition where the pipeline is incapable of retaining the fluid being

transported; however, a fluid release of a temporary nature caused by a

leakage at flanges, packing glands, and similar fittings, that can be corrected by

mechanical adjustments such as the tightening of bolts, is not considered a

failure. This definition is only applicable to the pipelines addressed in this

Information Bulletin..

Failures, as defined hereinabove, of a pipeline under this Information Bulletin

shall be reported immediately to ABSA, and a written report shall also be

submitted to ABSA without delay. The failure will be investigated by ABSA as a

pressure equipment incident, and the conclusions of the investigation will be

provided to the AER. In certain circumstances, ABSA and the AER may

conduct a joint investigation of the incident. If a failure causes the injury or

death of any person, the failure investigation may also involve representatives

of Workplace Health and Safety and other regulatory authorities.

ABSA IB10-006 Rev.3 Interpretation

April 22, 2015

7) Changes to Registered Designs

Changes to a registered design will be handled by ABSA, in accordance with

Section 22 of the PESR. A submission for registration of a change to an

existing registered design shall clearly indicate what has changed.

Management of change procedures shall be in place to ensure appropriate

engineering consideration is given to any proposed changes to the design of

the system. This requirement applies throughout the design, construction and

in-service life of the pipeline.

The ABSA process does not provide for design registration of an existing AER

regulated pipeline to accommodate a change to steam service from existing

service with any other fluid.

IV TREATMENT OF EXEMPTIONS

Details for exemptions and treatment of exemptions are as prescribed under Section 3.4

of Part B of the AER Directive 077. In general:

1) Temporary steam pipelines of a capacity greater than 0.5 cubic metres (m

)

require design registration, without regards to the length of time they are to be

in service. The usual ABSA registration procedure applies.

2) Steam pipelines confined strictly within the facility surface lease boundaries of a

steam generating plant, satellite, battery or well site, and steam manifolds and

measuring facilities at multi-well satellites are considered to form pressure

piping systems, as defined in the PESR, and are not exempted from

registration by ABSA if of a capacity greater than 0.5 cubic metres (m

). The

usual ABSA registration procedure applies.

V STATUTES AND REGULATIONS REFERENCED

References in this Information Bulletin to statutes, regulations, codes and standards,

include amendments thereto made from time to time.

Mike Poehlmann, P.L. (Eng.)

Chief Inspector

ABSA the pressure equipment safety authority